Note-indicator for pianos



S. SIEGEL.

NOTE INDICATOR FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 28, 1917.

INVENTOR. I Samuel [imp ab TmUw UNITED STATES PATENT onruon.

SAMUEL SIEG-EL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ANNA SIEGEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

NOTE-INDICATOR FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL SmcnL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Note-Indicators for Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a new and im proved note indicator for the key-boards of pianos.

The object of my invention is to provide a device that can be placed over the keyboard of a piano and enable any one, whether familiar with the operation of said instrument or musical notation or not, to play simple melodies by striking the pictorial representations imposed on tongues placed over the keys, in the order in which said representations are arranged on a chart similar to that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States, granted to me October 17 1916, numbered 1,201,769. A further object is to provide a device of this kind which can be used to indicate the black keys as well as the white keys, and another object is to provide a device of this character that can be placed in proper position or removed from the key-board easily and quickly. The various features of my invention embodying the preferred form thereof are hereinafter fully described, and are depicted in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the same.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention showing it applied to a portion of the keyboard of a piano.

Fig. 2 is a front edge view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the same, and a fragmentary part of said piano.

Referring to the drawings, 20 represents the white keys and 21 the black keys of the keyboard of a piano, and 22 the fall-board of the cover, which latter is shown in the drawings in the position in which it would be when said cover (of which it constitutes a part) is up.

My improvements are, preferably, made of card-board that is reinforced by a suitable cloth fabric (not shown) on the under side, and comprises a long panel 5 which, while it could be made longer, if desired, is generally-made about two octaves in length and is placed in a vertical position back of the black keys of the key-board and flat against fall-board 22 with its lower horizontal edge resting on the key-board. This panel has a series of straight webs 6, 6, made integral with and extending forward from the lower edge thereof between the black keys 21, which are connected in the longitudinal plane immediately in front of the forward ends of said black keys by a longitudinally extending comparatively narrow fiat strip 7, the length of which, preferably, corresponds to that of panel 5. The width of webs 6 and their relative position is such that when the indicator is in proper position the black keys will project up between them and they will rest upon and cover the white keys between said black keys, and thus immovably hold the indicator in operative position on the key-board.

Strip 7 has a series of parallel tongues or flaps 8 that are made of one or two layers of suitable fabric and are secured to or made integral at their ends with the same, and these tongues extend forward and are of such width and are so disposed that each one of them extends out over a white key different from that over which each of the others extends. I prefer to have the length of these tongues such that they will reach nearly to the front edge of the key-board,

and to make the connection thereof with strip 7 such that it will be sufliciently flexible to permit of the tongue being struck and depressed by the fingers to get the necessary dip to the white key under it, without causing webs 6 to buckle upward every time a tongue is struck.

Each of the tongues 8 has the representation of an animal or well known object 9 impressed thereon in any suitable manner, each of which is different from the representation on each of the other tongues, and above each of these representations the name of the ebject illustrated thereby is printed. Above this name the character indicating the musical note produced by the white key beneath the tongue in front of it is given, and above the staff in which this character is disposed the letter of the alphabet by which the musical note is produced by the said key is known, is printed.

The hinge or bend between webs 6, 6, and panel 5 is sufiiciently flexible, so that when the indicator is removed from the keyboard, the panel can be folded over said webs, and this panel also has, above the space between the webs, the representations 10 of well known animals or other objects suitably impressed thereon.

My improved indicator is used in connection with a chart substantially like that shown. in Letters Patent Number 1,201,? 69, above refered to, which usually consists of an elongated; rectangular card-board having a series of pictures similar to those i1npressed on tongues 8 and panel 5 and arranged in such order that when a person strikes said tongues and black keys having the same representations in the same order a simple melody will beproduced.

My improved indicator is intended to be used by persons not possesing technical knowledge of the musical art, and is particularly intended to teach childrenv music.

What I claim as new is 1. A musical note indicator for pianos comprising an elongated, strip adapted to be placed transversely onthewhite keysimmediately in front of the black keys of the keyboard thereof and having portions extending between said black keys, and. a series of depressible tongues one for each white key secured to said panel and each extending lengthwise over its white kc:

2. A musical note indicator or pianos comprisin a flatmeinber adaptedto be placed transversely on the white keys, means completely surrounding the black keys for securing the same in position, and a series of depressible tongues secured to said member each of which overlies one of the white keys.

3. A musical note indicator for pianos comprising a flat member adapted to be placed transversely across the, white keys, a vertical strip, at the rear of the black keys and means connecting the same to sai member, and a series of depressible tongues each secured to and projecting forwardfrom said member and overlying one of the white keys.

i. A musical note indicator for pianos comprising a vertical strip adapted to be placed back of the black keys, a co-extensive horizontal strip adapted to be placed across the white keys in front of the black keys, webs between the black keys connecting said strips, said vertical stripbeing foldable upon the webs.

In witness whereof- I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of February, 1917.

SAMUEL SIEGEL.

Vitnesses FRANK D. THOMASON, F. R. MITOHELL. 

